The Interview
by White Wolf1
Summary: Robin Hood and his gang are interviewed for a story about their lives.


**Disclaimer: **Nathan is mine. Alas, no one else in this story is.

**THE INTERVIEW**

by **White Wolf**

The young man, Nathan by name, walked boldly through Sherwood Forest. However, a closer look showed that his darting eyes and quivering lips belied the impression of courage he was trying to convey. He was terrified. What if the outlaws didn't believe why he was really there? What if they decided to rob him? What if they _killed_ him? "Oh, God!" he wailed.

Nathan's eyes continued to dart from tree to tree, knowing they were bound to be there, watching him, waiting for their chance. He tried to comfort himself with the knowledge that the stories said the outlaws only robbed the rich. He certainly wasn't rich. That was obvious. Surely, he would be safe.

He was in Sherwood Forest because his assignment was to interview Robin Hood. The outlaw was already famous, successful and everyone loved him. He didn't need any more press. But then, most of the people of England only knew the stories, not the man. That was going to be the angle for the interview. Meet the man behind the legend. Nathan smiled as he thought of the great story that would make.

Just then, several men jumped out at him. Nathan froze. Here in front of him stood Robin Hood's Gang: Little John, Will Scarlet, Nasir, Friar Tuck, Much, and, of course, the lovely Lady Marion.

Nathan frowned. "Where's Robin Hood?" he found himself asking before the outlaws had a chance to say anything. His disappointment at not seeing the object of his story unconsciously overcoming his fear.

"He's got the day off," Little John replied casually.

"The day off?" Nathan asked in stunned surprise. "No, he can't be off. I came here specifically to interview him. I can't go back empty-handed."

"Can't you interview us instead?" Will Scarlet asked hopefully. He quite liked the idea since he'd never been interviewed before. Interrogated, yes but not interviewed.

"But, the people want to know about Robin Hood."

"The people always want to know about Robin Hood," Will groused. "Hey, we do most of the work. He just mostly gives orders and waves Albion around. But naturally, _he_ gets all the credit."

"What's an Albion?"

"His magic sword. It can't hurt him. No one else can have a sword like that." Will was clearly not happy.

"You don't sound like you like him very much."

"Will doesn't like anybody very much," Much offered.

"Oh."

"That's not true," Will Scarlet protested. "I love Robin. It's in my job description. We _all_ have to love him and be his Merry Men."

"Trouble is we aren't merry men," Little John said sadly.

"You aren't?"

"Would you be merry if you lived in the woods, slept on the cold ground, ate only what you could catch, bathed only in the summer when the water was warm enough, and got chased all over the place by the Sheriff of Nottingham?"

"I see your point," Nathan nodded sympathetically.

Continuing on with his own train of thought, Will Scarlet said, "There's one other point, and none of us are too thrilled about it, either"

"And that is?" Nathan inquired.

"We have to be willing to die for him," Little John interjected.

"Oh," Nathan said with more emphasis. "It works both ways, doesn't it?"

"Only if he doesn't have to risk his life. He's the star, you know," Little John said helpfully.

"He can always get more of _us_," Friar Tuck began to explain. "But, there have only been two of _him_. It would be too difficult to have to go out and get a third one."

Much added, "The people we help are poor and kind of simple-farmers, mostly." It didn't occur to him that his statement had nothing to do with he current subject of discussion.

"No, Much. It's not that kind of simple. Being simple farmers means that's all they do," Lady Marion explained gently. She smiled sweetly at the young man.

It was Much's turn to say, "Oh."

Will Scarlet leaned over toward Nathan and whispered, "Much is a little simple, you know."

Continuing on, Little John said, "The first Robin Hood had dark hair and green eyes. The one we've got now has golden hair and blue eyes. Yet, the people called them both Robin Hood. I always wondered why they didn't seem to notice the difference." Little John frowned, obviously trying to figure it out. "Maybe, they _are _a little simple, after all."

Nathan looked at Nasir. "You haven't said a word."

"He's a Saracen," Lady Marion told him.

"He's had his tongue cut out?" Nathan asked in horror. He had heard stories about those Arabian people who steal and get their hands cut off, sleep with someone else's wife and get... "He must have said something really terrible."

"Oh, he's got a tongue. He just doesn't ever have anything worth saying." Little John smiled at the scowling Nasir.

"Is there anything else you'd like to know?" Lady Marion said kindly. It was obvious she wanted to help Nathan with his story.

"How did you all get together?"

"Well," Little John began. "We were sort of rounded up by the first Robin. His name was Loxley, and he became Herne's son and our leader. Then, when Robin was killed," he paused for a moment of silence before going on, "we scattered. Then, Herne chose another son, Robert, and he rounded us up again, and here we are."

"Who's Herne?" Nathan inquired with a puzzled frown.

All the outlaws stared at Nathan. "You don't know who Herne is?" Friar Tuck asked, disbelieving.

"Herne the Hunter? Lord of the Trees? Forest god of Sherwood?" Little John informed and questioned at the same time.

Nathan shook his head. He had never heard of this Herne, hunter, tree god person. And what was all this about him choosing the two Robin Hoods as his sons? Did he adopt them?

Lady Marion smiled at Nathan the same way she had smiled at Much-with infinite sympathy. "You really don't know?"

Nathan felt ignorant as he shook his head again. "No," he said pitifully.

"He's Herne the Hunter, Lord of the Trees, forest god of Sherwood," Will Scarlet informed the writer.

"Oh yeah. Him." Nathan felt better, having already heard about Herne from Little John. "He chooses these Robin Hoods to round all of you up to be outlaws? He's a god, and he approves of your line of work?"

"Insists on it," Will replied somewhat proudly.

Nathan nodded in sudden understanding. "He gets all of you to rob for him, and Robin Hood is his gang leader. Very clever."

Lady Marion smiled demurely. "We really do give the money we steal to the poor."

"Look at us," Little John instructed. "Do we _look_ like we keep any of the money?"

"Well, there was that one time you kept some to buy those new pants," Friar Tuck reminded Little John.

Everyone dutifully looked at Little John's pants.

"Those are _new_?" Nathan asked, as he looked at the worn, dirty pair of pants the big man was wearing.

"They were when I bought them. I live rough, you know," Little John replied indignantly.

"Put that down in your story," Friar Tuck said as he pointed to Nathan. A look of horror suddenly crossed his face. "Not about the pants! About us really giving our money away, I mean."

"His pants didn't really cost all _that_ much," Much said, wanting to add something important to the interview.

The silent Nasir was still scowling at Little John for what he had said earlier. When it comes to Saracens, nothing is ever forgotten.

Nathan looked at Lady Marion. "Aren't you married to Robin Hood?"

"I was married to the first one. I'm trying not to fall in love with this one, in case he dies, too, but he keeps wanting me to love him, so we can get married." Lady Marion looked a bit confused. "I haven't made up my mind, yet. He sure is cute, though."

"Why, thank you, Marion," came a voice from behind Nathan.

Nathan whirled around to see a tall, slender man in his early twenties, with long, golden hair, standing and gazing at Lady Marion, who lowered her head as her face flushed in embarrassment.

"You...you're Robin Hood," Nathan managed to stammer.

"In the flesh," the blue-eyed blond replied. "I came to see what was keeping all of you," He looked at Nathan. "Who are you?" he asked.

"My...my name is Nathan," Nathan continued to stammer. "I...I came to interview you."

There was a sympathetic look on Robin's face as he regarded the young man with the stammer. He had known others with this kind of speech impediment, and it saddened him. "What would you like to know?"

"We already told him everything," Will Scarlet informed his leader, not wanting to give up any of the limelight.

Robin ignored him.

Nathan was fully prepared to pursue his good fortune. He squared his shoulders. "There are a few questions I'd like to ask you," he said without a stammer.

"Of course," Will said sarcastically.

"Ask anything you like," Robin said, as he smiled broadly, revealing deep dimples in his cheeks.

'No,' Will inwardly wailed, 'not the dimples! Now we're sunk.' He knew that now that Robin was there with his golden hair and his dimples, he and the others might as well be pebbles on the road.

"Is it true your father, the Earl of Huntingdon, has disinherited you?"

"Yes, but I have the hope we'll get together soon. Maybe, it'll happen if my Uncle Edgar decides to betray my father to get his hands on the earlship and the Huntingdon money and lands." Robin had a slightly faraway look, as if trying to see into the future.

When Robin didn't explain further, Nathan asked, "Do you like being an outlaw?"

"What's not to like? We get to live in the woods, sleep on the ground, eat whatever we catch, bath in the summer when the water is warm, and run around while the Sheriff of Nottingham tries to catch us. It's a merry life."

Nathan looked at Little John but refrained from making a comment when he saw the stricken look on Little John's face. He prudently changed the subject. "Everyone talks about you robbing the rich and giving to the poor. Lady Marion says that it's all true."

"Except for the money we kept to buy Little John a new pair of pants," Robin admitted.

"I've heard," Nathan couldn't resist saying.

"So, Little John, your pants are getting famous," Robin laughed.

Now, it was the big man's turn to look embarrassed. He suddenly found his boots interesting things to occupy his attention. He looked at them long and hard.

"Look, guys," Robin smiled lovingly when he said, "and Marion, "it's time we got back to camp. The Sheriff, lost in Sherwood, as usual, might just come riding by here any minute, and we don't want to get captured again," Robin urged his friends.

"Does that happen often?" Nathan asked, unwilling to let this interview opportunity end too quickly.

"More often than we'd like," Robin answered. "But then, it does make for interesting stories." Robin turned to Nathan with a puzzled expression. "By the way, who do you write these stories for? Most of the people can't read."

Nathan frowned, not having thought about that before. Now he realized he had no idea.

"Well, write a good story anyway," Robin said cheerfully, as he waved. And with that, he and his band disappeared back into the trees without a sound.

Nathan looked around him. It was hard to believe the whole thing had actually happened. He looked down at his parchment paper, and his eyes got wide in disbelief. He had been so captivated, he hadn't written down a single word. He sat down right then to commit to paper everything he had been told. He was a responsible journalist, and it was imperative he write an accurate story.

The setting sun caught Nathan, as he walked out of Sherwood, a satisfied look on his face. He knew he had The Interview that would make his career, even if most of the people couldn't read it.

**~END~**


End file.
